Defendants operated a trafficking ring that prostituted women in New York City brothels. Defendants smuggled the victims into the United States from Thailand. Once here, the women were housed in a brothel and forced to engage in commercial
sex to repay their smuggling debt. Evidence presented at sentencing hearings showed that the victims were housed in a guarded brothel, which they could not leave without supervision. Additionally, Defendants used threats of physical violence to coerce the victims.
As the head of security at a brothel, Defendant Joseph was
responsible for keeping the prostitutes under their captors control. He knew that the women were undocumented individuals smuggled into the United States and that their captors were forcing them to repay their smuggling debts through prostitution.
Morales was found guilty by a federal jury. Other defendants accepted plea bargains. Defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit involuntary servitude and conspiracy to promote prostitution. Defendant Wattanasari was sentenced to 90 months' imprisonment and three years supervised release. Defendant Wuttidetgrienggrai was sentenced to 108 months imprisonment and three years supervised release.
At least one of the victims was imprisoned for lying to federal prosecutors. When interviewed by investigations, some of the women falsely claimed that they did not realize prior to arriving in the United States that they would be working as prostitutes.